The word "dig" has different connotations.
 
Some people picture a shovel and a pile of dirt beside a hole in the ground. Some might picture a nosey reporter, digging for the latest news. Others might put a more noble spin on it, picturing archeologists or construction workers or coal miners or even a hearty pioneer looking for gold.
 
It's something a volleyball player uses or something a rude person makes when speaking of someone else. It's what a teenage boy does -- digs into his pocket to find money to race his hot rod. It's also '50s-era slang, as in Don Prudhomme saying he "digs" Funny Cars.
 
Drag racers use the term "digging deep" almost as often as John Force uses the phrase "Bottom line . . . "
 
But what does that mean, "digging deep"?

The word "dig" has different connotations.
 
Some people picture a shovel and a pile of dirt beside a hole in the ground. Some might picture a nosey reporter, digging for the latest news. Others might put a more noble spin on it, picturing archeologists or construction workers or coal miners or even a hearty pioneer looking for gold.
 
It's something a volleyball player uses or something a rude person makes when speaking of someone else. It's what a teenage boy does -- digs into his pocket to find money to race his hot rod. It's also '50s-era slang, as in Don Prudhomme saying he "digs" Funny Cars.
 
Drag racers use the term "digging deep" almost as often as John Force uses the phrase "Bottom line . . . "
 
But what does that mean, "digging deep"?
 
A couple of Funny Car frontrunners offered different opinions.
 
Tony Pedregon said, "I think that expression exemplifies the fact that we consider ourselves professionals.  I think we work better under pressure. We utilize that experience that we have, some of us have more than others -- some of us have more experience than others.  But it's really relying on those things, those facets; it's relying on your team and the people that you surround yourself with.  So in the end, that is what separates.
 
"When you talk about a driver and what a driver's capabilities are, and these cars are so evenly matched, sometimes the driver is going to make the difference.  I think all of those components are going to play a role in the outcome of this.  Good cars, good equipment, good sponsors, good crew chiefs, good teams.  But the driver in the seat, you know, he takes the heat, he takes the credit, he's the one that catches on fire.  A lot of times he's the one that's going to make the difference between winning and losing," the points leader said.
 
Ron Capps, who leads the Funny Car class in victories this season with five and led the standings through much of the so-called "regular season," had a different spin on it.
 
"I think a lot of times, it can bite you more that it can help you," he said. "Guys talk about digging deep, and like Tony kind of talked, we know what to do when we get the seat and you know what to do especially when you are paid to do the job in the seat."
 
However, Capps said, "When people say that, I've often found especially watching my teammate Tony Schumacher and some of the clutch situations that team has been in to set a record the very last run of the year and things like that -- I've watched in different athletes, as well.  And it seems to be that the more relaxed those people are and the less that they actually dig down deep, whether they say it or not, I know it's a cliché, but you watch some of the greatest athletes in the world, and they just seem to be more relaxed and not actually having to think about 'digging down deep.'
 
"When somebody mentions they need to 'dig down deep,' you're grasping at things," he said.
 
"So you know, that's kind of my personal opinion on it." 

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